United Thread - 2021/22

[FogBlueInSanFran]

United have beaten Leeds, Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham and Spurs in the league. The only league match they have won since mid-September is the Spurs match. Liverpool's league fixtures have not been entirely different but their matches against title contenders at Anfield stand in stark contrast to the rags at OT: Liverpool took two points whereas the rags took two unholy thrashings. And the famous "trajectory of results" would, I think, lead most people to expect the gap between the scousers and the rags would widen rather than narrow in the weeks to come. Nor would Pep win the league with the rags squad for the simple reason that he wouldn't have any of them in his squad. We know that City expressed an interest in many of them, but that was all it was - an initial interest. He preferred Gundo to Pogba, interest in Maguire was extinguished when Leicester started talking about £50 million and there seems to have been little real interest in any of the others. OGS is not the only one who is not as good as his hype.

The BBC claimed on Saturday that United had a team "of superstars" and the argument is that that is a massively talented squad. Did it really look it on Saturday? How about against Liverpool? At home to Villa? Away at Leicester? Any team can have an off day and OGS really doesn't give the impression of having any clear idea 0f what he's doing. But neither do too many of the players. Top players would never turn in such anaemic displays as they did in their last two home matches and anyone who did would not get a second chance from Pep. It's true we can be very critical of our players and Rodri and Cancelo have been criticised, but criticised for making mistakes NOT for repeatedly ignoring the basic principles of playing football.

You wrote it much better than I did. Like Utd itself -- Pogba and Ronaldo themselves are dying brands. Ronaldo's understandable given his age, but FFS if 0 of 3 managers haven't gotten much out of Pogba who has played multiple roles then at some point you need to start pointing fingers at the player.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

And no pisscan overseeing it all.

But, that in reality, is what all this "the un*t*d way" is all about.

"He knows "the un*t*d way"" simply means, "is able to accept and work whilst the pissed up old fool, who still thinks he's relevant, sticks his oar in all the time"

It's comedy gold.

 

[Paladin]

Nowhere to be seen when they spent £110m+ on Sancho and Varane and give Ronaldo £500k a week back in August though.

Pathetic if this is true and they do this.

No doubt they'll all be there in their new Ronaldo shirts.

We and they criticise the Glazers, and I know they aren't the best owners, but you have to admit they have been generous with providing transfer funds. It's hardly the Glazer's fault that manager after manager has squandered the money on marquee signings, whilst ignoring the multitude of other deficiencies at the club. Woodward has to be the most culpable, surely.

 

[Bentheblue]

Sky Tweeting Okie is safe, well done everyone our campaign has not been in vain. He’s still at the wheel.

 

[Javi Garcia's Hairstylist]

Deschamps seems to get something out of Pogba but this is obviously a very discrete and relatively small data set.

I guess he did well at Juve but the general body of work does not suggest him as being remotely a "superstar" player. He's really a Europa Conference end product with Champions League knockout packaging. And hair. And dancing.

So glad he never ended up here, but I have my doubts that we were ever really in for him.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Deschamps seems to get something out of Pogba but this is obviously a very discrete and relatively small data set.

I guess he did well at Juve but the general body of work does not suggest him as being remotely a "superstar" player. He's really a Europa Conference end product with Champions League knockout packaging. And hair. And dancing.

So glad he never ended up here, but I have my doubts that we were ever really in for him.

I thought he was Yaya's heir (hair?) apparent. Jesus Christ, am I glad I was wrong.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Ahhhhhhh . . . now: finish the thought.

In order to rebuild -- with a brand new side, and a brand new manager who they are patient with, what has to happen?

They have to sell players. Big money, overpaid players. At a loss. And then they have to find the guy to reconstruct the side. Assuming he exists, he will want huge money and some type of guarantee he'll be given that time and the budget.

And during this reclamation effort, where will Utd finish? Surely well out of the CL running. Maybe worse. And do you think the owners -- in it for the money they can squeeze from the golden goose -- or the fans -- in it only for the glory, especially the overseas ones -- are going to stand for 3, 4, 5 or more years wandering the desert?

Of course not.

So . . . what do you do? You glue the thing together with money and tape. You bring in "stars" to give hope/promise. You bring in "legends" who understand "the United way". And you can spend your way not to glory, but at least to the hope of future glory reclaimed.

The problem is . . . that worked when there was only one or two teams better than you -- you could buy top four. But now? Now there are more. Potentially several more coming.

And that worked when some of the competitive clubs had down years. Not happening now.

I keep saying I try to look at Utd as a company, not a football team. As such, this is a dying brand with an antiquated business model. A brick-and-mortar retailer in the age of the internet. A propeller plane in the age of jets.

They don't have the balls nor the smarts nor the time nor the soft competitive base nor, increasingly, the money to tear down and rebuild.

Until the Glazers sell to someone who has all those things, AND the competitive environment changes to benefit them (which it may not) . . . .

They. Are. Fucked.

The Glazers have been touting the club around for at least two years. They must have been gutted when the Saudis bought Newcastle. I stll think they are keen to cash in but not many have deep enough pockets to buy a club with £500m debt and at least £500m needed on the infrastructure before you even start looking at the squad. The failure of the Super League project has just piled even more pressure on the Glazers. These are fantasatic times to be a City fan.

 

[alexmcity]

It's true we can be very critical of our players and Rodri and Cancelo have been criticised, but criticised for making mistakes NOT for repeatedly ignoring the basic principles of playing football.

People weren't critical of their mistakes, they thought of them as not good enough. The same was with Gundogan or Jesus. It's difficult to judge individual talent and ability when the team is struggling.

A great manager is a great manager because he can achieve more than it is expected. Many of their players would look very good under Pep or Klopp, imo.

 

[Protein Junkie]

4 for sixty quid at Pikea...

With free dog thrown in.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Deschamps seems to get something out of Pogba but this is obviously a very discrete and relatively small data set.

I guess he did well at Juve but the general body of work does not suggest him as being remotely a "superstar" player. He's really a Europa Conference end product with Champions League knockout packaging. And hair. And dancing.

So glad he never ended up here, but I have my doubts that we were ever really in for him.

Pogba's stats at Juventus were pretty poor, especially when you consider Italy was virtually a one-team league. For me he is one of the biggest frauds ever to set foot on a football pitch.

 

[KentBlue]

I thought he was Yaya's heir (hair?) apparent. Jesus Christ, am I glad I was wrong.

Pogbad is not on the same planet as Yaya...and never will be. But that's what the rags were hoping for, Yaya 2.

 

[Protein Junkie]

You know, I'm beginning to think Dwight Yorke might be a great replacement for Ole should the worst happen.

I recall a couple of years ago one headline read;

Even with Sir Alex Ferguson's help, I still can't get an interview': Dwight Yorke says it is harder for black coaches to become a manager as he opens up on his struggles to land a job in football​

There's some real positive media coverage to be gleaned here especially as, presumably, he wouldn't need any more new signings.

No
It’s because your shite Yorke and feck all to do with colour

 

[Vienna_70]

Never forget!

The Rags took every opportunity for 26 years during Piss Cans reign to take the piss out of City and City fans.

View attachment 29557

Tick, f*cking, Tock! you Rag c*nts!

Has the tick finally tocked?

 

[Mid Wales blue]

Ones who support a ‘bigger’ club.

If that’s how they support their bigger club, then it’s a good job we only support a “massive” one!

 

[Vienna_70]

I paraphrase "Moneyball":

"If they are good players, why don't they play good?"

It's all RELATIVE, chum. If few of their guys would get in Liverpool, City or Chelsea today, then it really doesn't matter how "good" they are, does it?

Also, "good" starts with effort. Which "half" of the Utd side showed effort Saturday?

Your premise that Utd's players are "good" is what we're arguing here, not that some match-day-thread-types went off on one or another player for his run of shit form last year for City.

You must have been up early on Saturday.

4:30, was it?

 

[kaz7]

Saint Marcus Of Fish Fingers has withdrawn from the England squad due to a "knock". Pretty sure it wasn't during the game he got this as he did absolutely fuck all

I have been calling him spotty boy but i like saint fish finger better lol

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Pogba's stats at Juventus were pretty poor, especially when you consider Italy was virtually a one-team league. For me he is one of the biggest frauds ever to set foot on a football pitch.

This. I’ve simply never understood why anybody rates him. It genuinely baffles me that people think he’s quality, or even that there’s a quality player in there trying to get out.

Quality players graft. That’s his first hurdle, but discernibly not his last. His decision making is poor too. I could go on.

Another player I’m grateful we didn’t sign

 

[Mid Wales blue]

Bernardo is God.

He’s not God!






















He’s more important to us than God!

 

[mat]

The rags are now a feed me likes club.

As long as they can groom gullible teens on their phones via social media to buy anything rag related that's all they are bothered about.

Rather chase likes on a steroid pumped version of the Scouse history card.

 

[Mid Wales blue]

I'm not sure if this refers to United's carbon emissions target, or Ole's tactics for the day.

You’ve smashed that @Paladin
Post of the week, and it’s only Monday!